What Jack-a-Nape is
Jack-a-Nape is an Epic Outfit in the Clockwork Circus Chimp set (Fortnite-API id `Character_HiHat`). Epic’s locker line is “The most musical menace this travelling circus has ever seen.” He is not in the Item Shop as the Fortnitemares method, not a Battle Pass page, and not the Jimothy Sidekick.
The unlock is a Nitemare quest track. This site’s free-cosmetics tracker has listed the outfit at 26 completed Nitemare quests since the event launched. Earlier milestones in the same track grant the rest of the set. Last reviewed: 29 October 2026.
Fortnitemares itself is dated with Override. Epic’s Fortnitemares 2026 news post does not print a clock hour. This site treats 31 October 2026 as the practical freebie cutoff and 1 November 2026, Eastern Time as the Battle Pass calendar day. If those disagree with your Quests tab timer, trust the timer.
Same-week freebies: Jimothy · Cuddlz / Safety in Numbers · tracker · 1 Nov downtime.
Clockwork Circus Chimp rewards (what we can name)
These cosmetics are on the Fortnite-API BR catalog as Chapter 7 Season 4 introductions. They are the Jack-a-Nape set, not shop guesses.
| Cosmetic | Type | API id | When it unlocks on this tracker |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Clockwork Ape | Loading screen | `LoadingScreen_HiHat` | Earlier Nitemare milestones (check the quest UI) |
| Wind-Up Key | Back bling | `Backpack_HiHat` | 8 Nitemare quests |
| Monkey Biz | Emoticon | `Emoticon_HiHat` | Earlier milestones in the same track |
| Jack's Tambourine | Pickaxe | `Pickaxe_HiHat` | 20 Nitemare quests |
| Tambourine Surprise | Emoticon | `Emoticon_HiHat2` | Same track as the pickaxe |
| Jack-a-Nape | Outfit | `Character_HiHat` | 26 Nitemare quests |
If your quest screen shows a reward we did not list, the client is ahead of this table — screenshot the milestone row, not a recap blog.
Each Nitemare quest also grants on the order of 15,000 XP toward the Override Battle Pass. That XP does die with the pass on 1 November. The cosmetics are the reason to finish the 26; the XP is a bonus if you are short on tiers. Planner: XP calculator. Pass cost is still 800 V-Bucks: Battle Pass price.
Where the 26 quests actually count
Epic’s Fortnitemares post puts the event on Battle Royale, Horde Rush, and Reload. That is the allowlist.
| Playlist | Counts for Nitemare quests? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Battle Royale / Zero Build pubs | Yes | Default farm. Ranked can strip Fortnitemares toys — if a quest names Pumpkin Chests or Freddy’s Nightmare, pubs is the clean run. |
| Horde Rush (Epic LTM) | Yes | Must be Epic’s Horde Rush tile. A creator “Horde Rush” island in Discover is not the same playlist. |
| Reload — Nitemare Island | Yes, when that island is in the match | Shared Ranked/Unranked Reload pool after v42.40 is Nitemare Island, Squid Grounds, and Stranger Things. Clock: map rotation. |
| Reload — Squid Grounds / Stranger Things | Not for island-named quests | If the quest text says Terror Turrets, Haunted Hamlet, Retail Ruin, or Estranged Estate, wait for Nitemare Island. |
| OG / Blitz / Festival / LEGO / Racing | No | Different rulesets. |
| Creative / UEFN horror maps | No | Those are Safety in Numbers, a different track. |
| Admin Panel lobby codes | No | Lobby Hacks never grant Jack-a-Nape. Lobby Hacks. |
Progress carries across BR, Horde Rush, and Reload. You do not need 26 in one mode. You do need 26 on the Nitemare track, not 26 random weeklies.
Epic did not publish the quest text in that news post. Recap sites dump the Oct 1 / Oct 8 / Oct 16 batches; those lists go stale the moment Epic adds a line. Pin the Nitemare category in the Quests tab and play what is on your HUD.
How to finish the last weekend (29 Oct → 31 Oct)
You do not need a 26-row spreadsheet. You need the three playlists and a pin.
- Open Quests → Fortnitemares / Nitemare. Pin every incomplete row.
- Queue Battle Royale or Zero Build. Land where the pinned text points. Epic’s own post names Nightmare Neighborhood, Freaky Fields, Freddy Krueger, Bonerattler SMG, Wood Stake Shotgun, Pumpkin Launcher, and cursed Match Overrides (Spooky Sprinter, Berserk, Prop Hunt). If your pin names one of those, that is the drop — live map.
- If BR pins are done and you still need count, play Horde Rush on the Epic tile. Perk picks, Cube Monster Parts, vending kits, and cursed statues are the usual Horde language. One or two full runs often clear a batch if you actually take the offers.
- For Reload pins that name Nitemare Island POIs, wait for Nitemare Island on the rotation clock (:00–:20 in the current shared pool). Do not farm Squid Game or Hawkins tiles for those rows.
- After each match, confirm the quest ticked before you queue the next mode. If it did not tick, you were in the wrong playlist, not “bugged forever.”
- When the counter hits 26, check Locker → Outfits for Jack-a-Nape and claim any unopened milestone cosmetics on the quest screen.
Pumpkin Chests are the giant Fortnitemares pumpkins, not regular chests with a sticker. Extraction Sites are for Jimothy, not this outfit.
What this is not
- Not Jimothy. Sidekick, Dumpster Dive Sprite, physical Extraction Site. Separate how-to.
- Not Cuddlz. Back bling from UEFN horror maps in a party. Separate how-to. That track may outlive Fortnitemares; this one should not.
- Not Null. Ranked styles. Null guide.
- Not a shop skin. Ignore “Jack-a-Nape generator” and Discord unban-style sellers. Same scam pattern as fake V-Bucks.
v42.40 (15 Oct) was the last Override content patch. It did not remove the Nitemare track. Patch so-what: v42.40.
FAQ
How many Fortnitemares quests for Jack-a-Nape?
26 Nitemare quests on this tracker. The quest UI is the live counter. Recap blogs that still say “wait for another weekly batch” are describing mid-October. By 29 October the batches that shipped (Oct 1, Oct 8, Oct 16 coverage) already exceed 26 if you also did Reload / Horde.
Do I have to play Horde Rush?
Only if you still need quests that live on that playlist, or you want the XP. BR-only can finish the outfit if enough BR rows are complete. Mix if you are short on time.
Does Ranked count?
Sometimes the Fortnitemares modifiers are stripped. If a quest needs Freddy’s Nightmare or a Pumpkin Chest and your ranked match has neither, switch to pubs.
When does Jack-a-Nape leave?
With Fortnitemares, not “whenever Treasure Hunters feels like it.” This site’s tracker ends the offer 31 October 2026. Override’s Battle Pass page still reads 1 November 2026, Eastern Time. Finish on the 31st if you cannot sit the queue. Downtime / DST.
Will he come to the Item Shop later?
Epic has not said. Halloween outfits sometimes return. That is not a plan. If you want him free, do the 26.
Can I buy the rest of the set?
The Fortnitemares method is the quest track. We will not invent a V-Buck row.